In the End
by ginnysweasley
Summary: "I swear to god, Tony. If you go on one more dangerous mission, you won't have to worry about an enemy killing you because I'll be the one to do it." In which Tony Stark gets his best friend, Charlie Jarvis, involved with the Avengers.
1. Prologue

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

_**PROLOGUE**_

_**STARK AND JARVIS**_

_1991_

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

_**FOR DECADES, EDWIN JARVIS**_ had been serving as a butler for Howard Stark. If you had asked Edwin if he ever thought he would be where he was today, he would tell you no. When he was younger, he had hoped to be a doctor, but unfortunately his dreams did not come true. Edwin was drafted into the British Armed Forces when World War II first broke out. He had seen many horrors during his time in the army and he did not think that he would never find light in this ever growing darkness. But he did and that light was a young woman named Ana. Ana gave him hope again and he promised that they would marry when the war was over, and he kept his promise. The couple eloped immediately and they both wanted to leave the horrors of the war behind, so they decided to move to America where Edwin eventually met Howard Stark.

Edwin meeting Howard was a chance encounter. He had been at a bar after a long day of interviews-hoping he would receive a job offer-but he hadn't. He had begun to feel like a failure whom his wife did not deserve, so he decided it would be best to drown his sorrows in the company of alcohol. The bar was crowded-full of women who were looking around the bar excitedly. Edwin payed them no mind, he just assumed that there was some lad who all of these young women were fawning over. He turned his attention back to the drink in his hand, which was nearly empty. It was rather late and Edwin was trying to figure out whether or not he should get another drink when a man's voice had brought him from his thoughts.

"Long day?" Edwin turned to look at the man who had taken a seat right across from him. The man was dressed immaculately-his shirt was pressed, his suit fit him perfectly, and his shoes were shined and polished.

"Something like that," responded Edwin. He noticed the group of young women had moved closer to his table, their whispers and giggles reaching his ears. He nodded his head towards the women. "Are they with you?"

The man turned around and stared at the women for a moment. Edwin believed that the man was going to tell them off for intruding in his personal space, but what the man did shocked Edwin. He smirked at the ladies and winked in their direction. They were stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting him to notice them. But their shock soon turned to giddiness and they began to whisper and giggle amongst themselves again. The man turned back around in his chair and laughed when he saw Edwin's face.

"As you can tell, they're not with me. But one of them might be by the end of the night." The man winked at Edwin,emphasizing the innuendo. This man was truly charming, even Edwin was intrigued by him and they had only just met. The stranger took a swig from his drink and sighed. "So, whats on your mind?"

"Are you always this forward with people you've just met?"

"Of course I am. It runs in my genes you see. My father was charming and intrusive, so was my grandfather and my great-grandfather." The man went on to list his relations that he shared those traits with, but Edwin had stopped listening after he had mentioned his great-grandfather. Clearly the man had realized he had stopped listening and he studied Edwin closely. "Normally people listen to my stories, no matter how boring they might be."

Edwin laughed softly at that. "And why is that exactly?"

The man's eyes widened, a look of pure shock crossing his features. "Y-you don't know who I am?" stuttered the man.

Jarvis shook his head. "Am I supposed to, sir?"

The man's mouth opened and began to move, but no words came out. After a few moments, he shut it and took a deep breath before speaking. "I would think everyone knows who I am, even the ones across the pond like you. I'm Howard Stark, owner and CEO of Stark Industries."

"You're the one that made most of the weapons used in World War II?"

Howard looked conflicted for a moment before shaking his head. "I am. I take it you aren't a fan of my inventions."

"Some of your inventions were highly lethal and unexpected."

The two sat in silence for a few moments, neither knowing what to say next. After a while, Edwin got tired of the silence and he finally decided to answer Howard's question from earlier. "If you must know, I'm drowning my sorrows because I have yet to find a job."

Howard studied him for a moment and smiled. "That's easy, come work for me!"

Edwin sputtered. "Pardon me?"

Howard leaned back in his chair and his smile grew wider. "I need a butler, someone who can help me out around the house and with my projects. You'd be perfect for the job!"

"But sir, we've only just met-"

"See, you've even gotten down the manners! I'm not really a fan of all that sir nonsense-when it's just us call me Howard-but when I have over guests they're going to want to hear that type of stuff come out of your mouth." Edwin learned in that moment that Howard Stark loved to hear his own voice. "And I feel like I already know you! You're British-which means your posh and neat-and your name is-"

"Edwin. Edwin Jarvis."

Howard extended his hand and Edwin reached forward to shake it. "Well Jarvis, I believe this is the start to a beautiful partnership."

"If you say so, sir."

—✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*—

**_CHARLOTTE 'CHARLIE' JARVIS WAS_** destined to be friends with Anthony 'Tony' Stark. It was inevitable seeing as Charlie lived right across from Tony's house and seeing how her father had been working as Howard's butler for decades. But it still came as a shock to her when Tony preferred to spend time with her rather than the children of Howard's business partners. But she didn't mind his company, he brought more fun into her life, much to the chagrin of of Edwin and Howard.

Even though he would never admit it to her, Tony was exactly like his father. He would spend most of his nights partying and he would always bring a girl back to his house. He was reckless and uncaring, but Charlie knew there were reasons behind his behavior. He was acting out, hoping to get his father's attention. Whenever Tony spoke to Charlie about his father, his voice would grow cold and she could sense the resentment he felt towards Howard. She always tried to be supportive of Tony's views, but when it came to his relationship with his father, she didn't know what to think. She knew that Howard loved his son-she saw it every time he looked at Tony-but both Stark men were to stubborn to say they cared about each other.

Howard might have been stubborn when it came to his son, but he always made sure that Tony had people looking out for him. Most of the time it was either Charlie or their other best friend, James Rhodes, who would be on babysitting duty. Each loved to spend time with Tony, and most of the time they did it without Howard having to ask them to. The only time the older Stark man ever asked for anything from the two was when he knew Tony was going to go partying. He became anxious whenever his son would declare he was going out for the night-Howard had enemies out in the world and he didn't want one to attack Tony while he was drunk-so, he would always ask Charlie or Rhodey if they would go supervise them. And seeing as they were Tony's best friends, they couldn't just say no, which was why Charlie was currently at a party wishing she could crawl into a hole and hide.

Charlie was not the party type. She hated being crowded in one room full of sweaty, hormonal young adults who were drunk off their asses-but it was all worth it if she managed to keep Tony out of trouble.

The music was loud and obnoxious, but she couldn't help nodding her head along to the beat. She took a sip of water from her solo cup and looked around the room, eyes searching for any sign of Tony. She soon found him in the middle of the dance floor, a big smile on his face as he danced with a girl. He was currently whispering something in the girl's ear and she was clearly falling for whatever he was telling her because she was nodding her head eagerly. Tony's smile grew even wider and he left the girl there on the dance floor. He walked up to Charlie, his eyes alight with mischief.

"You know, the whole point of coming to a party is to have fun," said Tony. He leans up against the wall with Charlie and took her drink from her hand. He took a swig and grimaced at what he found. "Seriously Charlie, you're drinking water?"

"You're forgetting that one of us has to stay sober so we can get home," she pointed out. Tony sighed and handed her back her drink.

"I don't know why you even come to these things. You never have any fun. It's like your my father who's looking at me with disappointment in your eyes. You're bringing down my mood."

Charlie rolled her eyes and took a sip of water. "Wow, comparing me to your father, that's a first."

Tony sighed. He looked out at the dance floor and the girl he was just dancing with waved. "You don't think I know why you and Rhodey come to these things? I know he asked you to be here."

Charlie looked over and her brown eyes locked with his. "He does care for you," she said softly. "We all do. We're just worried. You've been partying a lot lately and you could get in some serious trouble."

Tony scoffed. "He doesn't care for me, Charlie. How many times do I have to tell you that?" He was getting angry, like he always did when he talked about his father. "He's never even told me he's loved me, never even told me he likes me. What kind of father does that? I know yours doesn't. You want to know why? Because Jarvis has actual _feelings_. He's been more of a father to me than my own."

Tony's eyes darted away from hers. She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight. "Are you going to be there when they leave tomorrow?"

Howard and Maria were going on a business trip to Washington DC. Nobody knew what for, not even her own father how knew everything about Howard's business endeavors. They would be gone for at least a week, but they had assured everyone that they would be back before the holidays.

Tony looked down at their interlocked hands, his thumb gently rubbing her hand. "I don't know. It depends if I get lucky tonight."

Charlie scoffed and tugged her hand from his grasp. "Is that all you ever think about?"

Tony laughed and smirked. He took a step back from her and held his arms out wide. "What can I say, it runs in my genes. I can't help what traits are passed down to me."

Charlie rolled her eyes but she couldn't help the smile that graced her features. "You're ridiculous."

"I know, but that's why you stick around."

Charlie watched as he walked back to the girl. He whispered something in her ear and they began to walk off. Charlie had no idea where they were going, but she did know what they were about to do and she wasn't too keen on following them. All she knew was that it was going to be one long night that she couldn't wait to be over.

—✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*—

**_THE NEXT MORNING WAS_** rough. Tony had passed out on the couch the night before and when his father found him, he was furious. The two had a screaming match and Howard and Maria left without saying goodbye to anyone. Charlie had watched the exchange with downcast eyes. Howard did love Tony, she knew that for a fact, but sometimes the two were just too similar and their personalities would clash which would lead to some harsh exchange of words.

Once Howard was out the door, Tony rushed up the stairs and slammed his door. Charlie and Edwin stayed in the living room, both still trying to process what exactly had just transpired.

"Well, at least is wasn't as bad as their last fight," breathed out Charlie. Her father walked over to her and kissed the top of her head.

"I suppose it wasn't."

Jarvis left the room and left Charlie to her thoughts. She would have gone up to Tony's room to see how he was doing, but she knew that he needed space to calm down. He would forget about the exchange and go back to being his playful self.

None of them knew that they would remember that day for the rest of their lives.

—✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*—

**A/N: I decided that I was going to rewrite the first few chapters of this book. I felt like the first chapters weren't that great and I really wanted to make you guys love this book so that was one of the main factors I rewrote it. Another was because I felt my writing was not the best, so hopefully this prologue is better. We got a little bit of the backstory about how Edwin and Howard met and a little bit of insight into Charlie and Tony's relationship. I am also planning on writing another Marvel story, but I want you all to decide who the love interest should be. Your options are: Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff, Thor, Carol Danvers, or Sam Wilson. Please comment who you want the love interest to be down below!Also, the faceclaim for Charlie is still going to be Caitriona Balfe. I hope you all enjoyed the newly written prologue! If you have any suggestions or feedback, please do not hesitate to comment below!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All rights belong to Marvel, Disney, Kevin Feige, Stan Lee and any other respective owners. I only own Charlie Jarvis and any other characters I choose to create!**


	2. Part One

**[PART ONE]**

"_Tony, what the hell were you thinking, getting yourself kidnapped!"_

"_I missed you too, Charlie. But I think I've missed cheeseburgers more."_

"_You're ridiculous."_

**[IRON MAN]**


	3. Chapter One

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

_**CHAPTER ONE**_

_**WHEN IN VEGAS**_

✧･ﾟ_**: ***_✧･ﾟ_**:***_✧･ﾟ_**: ***_✧･ﾟ_**:***_

_**CHARLIE JARVIS MANEUVERED THROUGH **_the group of people that were crowded in Tony's living room. The party had been going on for two hours now and the host had yet to make an appearance. She had no clue that the party was even happening-he had told her that it was only going to be a small get together of their closest friends. But instead, he decided that he was going to throw her an extravagant party with people she didn't even know in attendance.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself," observed Rhodey. Charlie turned and saw him, a huge smile on his face. He opened his arms wide and she embraced him. She hadn't seen him in months, he had claimed it was because he was too busy with his duties as a Colonel in the Air Force.

Once they were done hugging, she stepped back and looked around at the crowd of faces she didn't know. "You know me. I never have fun at parties."

The smile slowly disappeared from Rhodey's face. "He threw this party because he wanted you to actually celebrate your birthday again, Charlie. I don't really blame him. You deserve to celebrate yourself for once."

Charlie looked away and bit her lip. "I haven't felt like celebrating myself since my dad's death. I'm grateful that Tony threw this party because he wanted to help me, but it's just too much, Rhodey."

Ever since 1993, Charlie had hated her birthday. She just had no need to celebrate it anymore when the person she shared it with was now dead. See, Charlie was born on her father's 52nd birthday. From that day on, the father-daughter duo celebrated their birthday together. It had become a tradition, one that Charlie never expected to break. But in 1993, two years after Howard and Maria's car accident, Edwin Jarvis became ill and died. From that moment on, she couldn't bring herself to celebrate her birthday, or even think about it for that matter. But now, she was forced to realize that today was the day she was brought into this world and she was not okay. She knew that Tony was worried and he was just trying to help, but pushing all of this on her last minute was making her anxious.

"Do you know where he is?" she asked Rhodey.

Rhodey furrowed his brow and shook his head. "He hadn't made an appearance yet."

"No," responded Charlie. "I figure he was going to make a grand entrance, but it's been two hours since the party started and he normally would have made an appearance by now."

"Do you want me to find him?"

Charlie shook her head and nodded towards the partygoers. "Just go enjoy the party. I'll go look for him."

She watched as Rhodey maneuvered through the crowd and made his way towards the bar. In that moment, she couldn't be more grateful that he had shown up to her party. But now that she had found one of her best friends, it was time to find the other one.

Charlie left the living room and made her way into the hallway. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do. "Hey JARVIS."

It took a few moments before the AI system responded. "Yes, Miss Jarvis?"

Charlie felt a wave of emotions as she heard the British voice that sounded so much like her father's. It had been years since Tony had first introduced her to the AI he had made in memory of her father. At first she was upset-she couldn't believe that he would ever want a reminder of the man they both lost-but her feelings quickly changed to grief.

"Could you possibly tell me where Tony is?"

"Mr. Stark is currently in his workroom. Would you like me to inform him that you're looking for him?" asked the AI.

"No, I'll just go down there and see him." Charlie began to walk towards the workroom. From where she was, she could hear the AC/DC blasting and she couldn't help the smile that grew on her face. No matter what he was doing, Tony always had to be listening to rock music.

Charlie opened the door to his workroom, which was a complete mess. Metal bolts and screws were scattered all over the place, tools were shoved into odd places. The only thing in the room that wasn't a mess was Tony-who was dressed in an immaculate suit. He was bent over something at one of his work tables and Charlie took a step forward to try to see what he was working on.

"What are you working on?" she asked curiously. Tony stood up straight and quickly blocked her view what from he was working on. He turned off the music and turned to face her.

"Nothing that you need to worry about. Shouldn't you be upstairs enjoying the party that I do graciously threw for your birthday?" he asked. Charlie sighed and shrugged her shoulders. She cleaned off one of the work tables and leaned against the edge.

"Parties aren't really my thing," she said softly.

"I know that, but you need to let yourself loose once in a while, Char," he responded. "I know how hard it is to even think about your birthday, but you've got to move on eventually, and tonight is the perfect night to do that."

Charlie snorted. "What exactly am I going to do tonight if I'm not in the mood?"

"No, don't do that." He pointed a finger at her accusingly. "You are going to get your ass back upstairs and go get yourself something to drink-which will help you let loose a little or a lot. You are kind of a lightweight. Then you're going to dance and hopefully by the end of the night, you'll have someone to sleep with."

"I'm so glad you have my night figured out," she said sarcastically. "But I'm not you, Tony. I don't sleep with every guy that I've only just met."

His eyes brightened and a smirk grew on his face. "Oh, so you'll sleep with someone you know? Why Miss Jarvis, if you wanted to sleep with me tonight, you only had to ask."

She rolled her eyes. "You wish I wanted to sleep with you, Stark. But unfortunately for you, I'm immune to your charms and I'm not like the other girls you bring back to your room."

"No, you're better than them."

Charlie's eyes widened and she averted her eyes from his. She looked around his work room and she decided that she was going to spend one day cleaning it from top to bottom. She noticed at piece of paper at her feet and she bent down to pick it up. She scanned it quickly and her eyes widened at what she saw. She looked up at Tony and thrust the paper at him accusingly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were this year's recipient for the Apogee Award?"

Tony shrugged and crossed his arms across his chest. "You didn't ask. Plus it's not important, I don't even want to go."

Charlie stared at him in shock. "But Tony, this is a monumental award! Which means that it is a big deal. Where are they holding the event?"

"Some casino in Vegas. Why, do you want to go ask my date?" he asked excitedly. Charlie shot him a look and he sighed. "Fine. Not as a date. But do you want to go as a member of my entourage?"

"I don't know. It depends on when it is and whether or not I can get off from work," she admitted. She scanned the letter again and when the even was being held, which just so happened to be tomorrow.

"Well, you work for Stark Industries and I own Stark Industries which means I can let you off from work," he clapped his hands together. "JARVIS, tell Charlie's boss that she's going to be taking the day off tomorrow and that I signed off on it."

"Of course, Mr. Stark," replied the AI and Charlie couldn't help but wince at his voice.

"I still think it's weird that you tried to immortalize my father in an AI," she murmured.

Tony smiled sadly and shrugged. "I didn't make him for me, you know. I made him for you. I thought it would help you grieve. I knew that you two were close, so I figured I would make you something that reminded you of him."

Charlie was shocked. She didn't know that the reason why he had made JARVIS was for her. "I didn't know that. I thought you made him because you needed a piece of him to remember him by."

Tony shook his head. "I already have a piece of him, and that's you." The two stood there in silence, but it wasn't awkward. It was a comfortable silence that neither wanted to ruin. Tony let out a breath before he turned back to what he was working on earlier, still blocking her view. "Go back to the party and try to enjoy yourself, Char. I'll be up in a few minutes. I just have to finish up with your birthday present."

"What is it," she asked curiously. She tried to look over his shoulder, but he moved and her view was blocked.

"You know, you're quite nosy," he teased.

"I can't help it. It's one of the things I got from my dad." She walked towards the door and was about to leave before she decided to turn back. Tony was looking at her, his brown eyes filled with an emotion that Charlie couldn't define. "Oh and Tony, thank you for throwing this party. It might actually help."

Tony smiled and nodded his head. Charlie left the room and shut the door carefully. AC/DC began to blare from the room and she shook her head.

_Maybe this party won't be too bad, _she thought. But this was Tony after all, and she had no idea what he had up his sleeve for the night.

—✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*—

_**AS CHARLIE WAITED FOR **_the presentation to begin, she realized that Tony was not going to be making an appearance tonight. She looked over at Pepper, who was searching the room anxiously. Obadiah Stane, one of Tony's business partners that helped Stark Industries didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that the recipient was not going to be the one to accept the Apogee Award. The lights in the room began to dim and Charlie turned her attention towards the front of the room.

"_Tony Stark. Visionary. Genius. American patriot. Even from an early age, the son of legendary weapons developer Howard Stark quickly stole the spotlight with his brilliant and unique mind. At age four, he built his first circuit board. At age six, his first engine. And at 17, he graduated summa cum laude from MIT." _She watched as pictures from his childhood up to his teenage years appeared on the screen. "_Then, the passing of a titan. Howard Stark's lifelong friend and ally, Obadiah Stane, steps in to help fill the gap left by the legendary founder, until, at 21, the prodigal son returns and is anointed the new CEO of Stark Industries. _

"_With the keys to the kingdom, Tony ushers in a new era for his father's legacy, creating smarter weapons, advanced robotics, satellite targeting. Today, Tony Stark has changed the face of the weapons industry by ensuring freedom and protecting America and her interests around the world."_

The lights turned back on and the audience began to clap. Charlie watched as Obadiah rose from his chair and slowly made his way towards the stage. It appeared that he was going to be the one to accept the award on Tony's behalf.

Rhodey came out on stage, dressed in his military uniform. Once he was situated behind the podium, he began to speak. "As liaison to Stark Industries, I've had the unique privilege of serving with a real patriot. He is my friend and he is my great mentor. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present this year's Apogee Award to Mr. Tony Stark." People began to applaud, but Rhodey paid them no mind. His eyes darted throughout the room, desperately searching for Tony. "Tony?"

Obadiah appeared on stage and began to walk towards Rhodey. He extended his hand and the two exchanged a firm handshake. Once they were done, Rhodey left the stage, trophy still in band and Obadiah stepped up to the podium.

"This is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you all very much." Obadiah paused, waiting for the applause to die down before he continued. "This is wonderful. Well, I'm not Tony Stark. But if we were Tony, I would tell you how honored I feel and what a joy it is to receive this very prestigious award. Tony, you know...The best thing about Tony is also the worst thing. He's always working."

Charlie snorted and Pepper shot her a look. But she couldn't help it. Everyone who knew Tony knew that he wasn't working on a new project. He was probably somewhere off in the hotel getting drunk off his ass and wooing some girl who was about to get her heart broken.

Rhodey began to walk by her table and she quickly got up to follow him. "Are we going to go find our dumbass of a best friend?"

Rhodey sighed. "You know it. What do you think the dumbass is doing?"

"Knowing him he's getting drunk off his ass and is about to go sleep with someone." Rhodey began to laugh and Charlie smiled. Charlie stopped in her tracks and stared at the trophy still clutched in his hands. "Rhodey, can I be the one to hold the trophy."

Rhodey stopped in his tracks and stared down at the award. He then looked up at Charlie and shot her an inquisitive look. "Why?"

"So I can beat some sense into Tony."

Rhodey looked back down at the trophy and she could tell that he was conflicted. After a few moments, he sighed and handed her the trophy. "Just don't kill him, Charlie."

"I make no promises."

—✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*—

_**THEY FOUND HIM IN **_the hotel casino, a group of people standing around him as he played a game. Charlie watched in amusement as a woman rubbed up against him and he began to flirt with her. Charlie and Rhodey pushed through the crowd until they were standing behind him.

"You are unbelievable," said Rhodey in disbelief. Tony turned around and looked at his two best friends.

"Oh no! Did they rope you both into this?" he asked, pretending to be shocked. Charlie rolled her eyes and stared at Tony.

"I'll have you know you _asked _me to be here," she retorted.

"Nobody roped me into anything!" responded Rhodey.

"I'm so sorry."

Rhodey shook his head in disbelief. "But they told me that if I presented you with an award, you would be deeply honored."

"Of course I'd be deeply honored. And it's you, that's great. And I got Charlie their to support me," Tony said enthusiastically. "So when do we do it?"

Charlie snorted. "You missed it. The event just ended about ten minutes ago. I have your trophy right here." Charlie held up the award and Tony made to grab it but she held it back. "Oh no, I think I'm going to keep it for a few minutes. I have plans for this."

Tony raised an eyebrow and looked at Rhodey. Rhodey shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Don't look at me, man. She asked me for it and I gave it to her."

Tony turned to look at Charlie and he narrowed his eyes. "Why'd you want the trophy, Charlie? Are you trying to sell it on eBay? If it's money you want, all you have to do is ask and you shall receive."

Charlie narrowed her eyes. "Oh I'm not selling it. I'm going to beat you with it and pray that some sense will come to you."

Tony smirked and motioned to Happy. "You forgot about Happy. He wouldn't let anything happen to me."

"He would if I bribed him with the chocolate chip cookies that I make."

Charlie and Tony turned to Happy, who was trying not to smile at the exchange. "I'd go with her cookies anytime of the week."

Charlie smiled triumphantly, while Tony stared at Happy in shock. "Charlie, Happy, I hereby fire you from my life."

"Oh please, you need us both," she pointed out. "You wouldn't be able to function if you didn't have Happy to take you places. And you wouldn't have me-the only person who actually enjoys bantering with you."

"Are you both done?" Rhodey cut in. Charlie and Tony turned to look at Rhodey, who they had completely forgot about. Rhodey took the trophy from Charlie's hands and gave it to Tony.

"There it is. That was easy." He began to examine the trophy. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, it's okay," responded Rhodey.

Charlie looked down at her watch and sighed when she realized what time it was. She looked up at her best friends and clapped her hands together. "All right boys, I'm heading out. I have to get back to California before I go to work in the morning."

"Please stay, Charlie," said Tony. Charlie studied Tony, trying to see if he was joking but he wasn't. He was completely serious and the unnamed emotion that she had seen in his eyes last night was back.

"I can't," she breathed. "I'll see you when you get back from your trip to Afghanistan, okay?"

Tony nodded his head. "Sounds like a plan."

Charlie began to walk away from her friends and the crowd of strangers, but she stopped in her tracks when Tony called her name. She turned around and saw his notorious smirk.

"I don't get a kiss goodnight?" he teased. Charlie rolled her eyes and she was tempted to flip him off, but she pushed down the urge.

"Goodnight Tony. Night Rhodey." She called over her shoulder as she began to walk away. She could feel eyes following her every movement, but she had no idea who would be paying attention to her.

Once she was outside the hotel, she let out a breath. Tony Stark was going to be the death of her.

—✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*—

_**A/N: **_**I hope you all enjoyed! The next chapter will deal with Tony's disappearance and the months after. I want to thank you all for reading this book, I really appreciate it! I edited this chapter, but knowing me i forgot some mistakes, so I will be looking at it again and fixing any mistakes that I might have missed! If you have any feedback or any comments, please please please comment below! I really want to know what you guys think of the story so far or of the characters. You can even suggest improvements for the story-like my writing style or something. I just really want to hear from you guys! Thanks again for reading!**


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